Cycle News Staff | January 23, 2023
Due to the recently released Pac-12 Conference college football schedule, which involves the USC Trojans and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, dates are changing for the SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs and Final.
SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs and Final schedule has been revised.
SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff 1 will still take place on Saturday, September 9, at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina and Playoff 2 will now take place on Saturday, September 16 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, followed by the SuperMotocross World Championship Final on Saturday, September 23, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.
The remaining locations for the SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff rounds were announced during a press event at Anaheim 1. zMax Dragway and Chicagoland Speedway are set to host Playoff 1 and Playoff 2, respectively. The final round’s location remains unchanged, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Here is the press release…
Anaheim, CA (January 6, 2023) – During a press event for the opening round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and subsequently, the SuperMotocross World Championship, the SuperMotocross League announced that zMax Dragway and Chicagoland Speedway will host the first-ever SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff Rounds in September after the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and AMA Pro Motocross Championship both conclude.
SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff 1 will take place on Saturday, September 9 at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina and Playoff 2 will take place on Saturday, September 23 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois As previously announced, the SuperMotocross World Championship Final will take place on Saturday, October 14, in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“The design from the get-go was to make sure that each part of the country was represented so fans would have an opportunity to experience SuperMotocross first-hand,” said Dave Prater, Vice President of Supercross, Feld Motor Sports. “It was important to have one playoff in the East, a second in the Midwest, and then the final on the West Coast making each round easily accessible to each region. zMax Dragway, Chicagoland Speedway and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum all provide the perfect footprint to create world-class SuperMotocross tracks and a one-of-a-kind fan experience that will blend elements from both Supercross and Pro Motocross.”
zMax Dragway is situated adjacent to Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord and is the world’s first four-lane dragway. Built in 2008, zMax is considered the “Bellagio of Dragstrips” for its expansive layout, large capacity grandstands and 40 luxury suites. zMax is going to provide a layout where our track builders can create lanes suited for grandstand and suite viewing while also allowing fans to “line the fence” as they typically would at an outdoor Pro Motocross event.
“Innovation and entertainment are at the core of everything we do, so adding a SuperMotocross event to our portfolio at zMax Dragway just makes sense,” said Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter. “Fans who visit us expect big action and big fun, and that’s exactly what SuperMotocross provides. We couldn’t be more excited to make some Playoff history in September.”
Chicagoland Speedway sits right outside of Chicago in Joliet and will be easily accessible for fans traveling by car or plane with its central location and multiple airports. The 1.5 Mile D-shaped tri-oval Speedway sits on over 900 acres of land which will provide enough room for the track builders to get creative with the layout. Being a world-class facility, Chicagoland provides all the modern amenities motorsports fans expect when purchasing an event ticket. Chicagoland Speedway is no stranger to marquee events as they hosted Indy Car Series races for more than 10 years and NASCAR Cup Series races for nearly 20 years.
“As a proud partner of Supercross at Daytona International Speedway for over 50 years, we look forward to welcoming the first-ever SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs to the Midwest at Chicagoland Speedway,” said Chip Wile, senior vice president and chief track properties officer, NASCAR. “With a thrilling season of motorsports ahead, we are excited to see riders return to Daytona and Chicagoland for intense two-wheel action this season.”
The best of both worlds, the SuperMotocross World Championship is going to boast first of its kind track designs that will utilize a unique combination of both Supercross and Motocross obstacles. Each track layout will be unique unto itself but include five fundamental, yet essential elements of both disciplines – big air, long rhythm sections, rollers, fast straightaways, and elevation.
The following is a press release from October 11, 2022
Feld Motor Sport and MX Sports, the organizers of the new SuperMotocross World Championship, held a formal press conference at the iconic L.A. Memorial Coliseum, where the SuperMotocross World Champion will most likely be crowned in 2023 and the site recognized as the birthplace of Supercross. It was here where the race schedule, points structure, playoff race format, prize payout and TV/streaming package for the inaugural 2023 season was revealed.
Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing held a joint press conference outside the L.A. Coliseum to reveal detailed plans for next year’s SuperMotocross World Championship.
The organizers of AMA Supercross (Feld Motor Sports) and outdoor Pro Motocross (MX Sports Pro Racing) Championship earlier announced that the two groups had united to produce the 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship, which is essentially the combination of both series followed by a three-race playoff, which will crown a SuperMotocross World Champion.
First and foremost, each series will produce a Supercross and Motocross Champion, as usual. Nothing has changed. Also unchanged is the 250cc East and West SX Championships, East/West Showdowns, and three Triple Crown races in Supercross. They are all happening again, as usual.
Even though AMA Supercross and Motocross Champions will still be crowned, points accumulated in both series will ultimately qualify riders into a three-race playoff at the end of the motocross championship that will decide the SuperMotocross World Champion.
The SuperMotocross World Champion will be decided by a three-race playoff format after both AMA Supercross and outdoor MX Champions have been crowned.
As far as purse, the SuperMotocross World Championship series will boast the sport’s largest purse payout of $10 million over the course of the full season. A sum of $1.1 million will be added to the existing prize money already available in each respective championship. The SuperMotocross World Championship playoffs and final will have $5.5 million up for grabs, with a guaranteed $1 million going to the 450cc champion and $500,000 for the 250cc champion. Purse payout will continue to be provided to the top 40 racers in both Supercross and Pro Motocross and will be provided to the top 30 racers in the SuperMotocross World Championship.
The points structure for Monster Energy AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross will remain the same throughout their respective seasons. Following the end of the Pro Motocross season, the top 20 athletes in combined Supercross and Pro Motocross points will automatically qualify to compete at each round of the SuperMotocross World Championship.
Leading into the playoffs, the points will be reset in both classes. The top 20 athletes will be seeded into the playoffs using one event’s worth of Supercross points—26 for the regular season points leader, 23 for second, 21 for third, 19 for fourth, then single point denominations to the 20th seed, making performance during the regular season crucial for playoff position.
The 2023 Coliseum track map is already revealed. The historic stadium will host the playoff final, where the first SuperMotocross World Champion will be crowned.
SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff 1 will retain the original point structure for the top 22 positions (26-1), while SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff 2 will pay out double points (56-2). The SuperMotocross World Championship Final will pay triple the points (78-3), setting the stage for a wide-open, three-race showdown.
The top 20 racers in combined Supercross and Pro Motocross points will be automatically seeded into the three SuperMotocross World Championship events. Gate position for the top 20 will be determined by qualifying at each event, while racers seeded 21st through 30th will still be eligible and can compete for the final two gate positions at each round in a Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) race for the 21st and 22nd starting positions.
Additionally, any racer outside the top 30 in combined points who won a Supercross main event or a Pro Motocross overall will also be given a chance to qualify for the 21st and 22nd positions at each round of the SuperMotocross World Championship. Racers entering the playoffs outside the top 20 will begin the playoffs with zero points.
The SuperMotocross World Championship playoff races and final will operate under a two-moto format for both the 450cc class and 250cc class. Each moto will be 20 minutes, plus one lap, in which Olympic scoring will determine an overall finishing position for which SuperMotocross Championship points will be awarded. The SuperMotocross World Championship Final will also feature a SuperMotocross Amateur All-Star Race, with a single 10-minute-plus-one-lap moto showcase featuring high-profile amateur talent.
The way the points are structured, the SuperMotocross World Champion will most likely be decided at the last round of the three-round playoff, which will be held at the L.A. Coliseum. The location of the other two rounds has not been announced but are expected to be at two unique and new locations.
It was also announced that all 31 rounds of the SuperMotocross World Championship will be streamed live domestically on Peacock, while broadcast coverage will be shared between NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. Internationally, streaming will be available through the new SuperMotocross Video Pass and will be available to fans in more than 140 countries around the world.
“With our wide array of live and original motorsports offerings, Peacock is a natural home for Supercross and Pro Motocross races,” said Rick Cordella, Chief Commercial Officer, Peacock. “We’re looking forward to providing fans with an easily-accessible destination to find every race all season long, including the exciting finish with the newly formed SuperMotocross World Championship.”
Representatives from all the major factories—Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, KTM, GasGas, Husqvarna and Suzuki—attended the conference and voiced their support of the new system. Several factory racers were also on hand, as well, including Jason Anderson, Adam Cianciarulo, two-time Supercross Champion Cooper Webb, Husqvarna’s Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig, as well as former Supercross Champions Ricky Carmichael, Ryan Villopoto and Jeff Stanton, who won the AMA Supercross title at the final round in 1992 at the Coliseum. All support the new championship.
“The SuperMotocross World Championship puts riders in a position to have to perform in both disciplines,” said 15-time champ Carmichael. “I cannot wait to see how they’re able to take advantage of their strengths over the course of the season and how it will come together for the playoffs. Above all, I’m really excited for the unity of Supercross and Pro Motocross and seeing what Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing are doing to help foster the growth of the sport. One vision, one goal. I can’t think of a sport where the playoff format doesn’t work and doesn’t provide excitement. Everyone is going to benefit from this, from the manufacturers to the riders, and most importantly, the fans.”
The idea of SuperMotocross World Championship between Feld and MX Sports first came to light in 2020 when the pandemic forced the stoppage of the Monster Energy Supercross Series and threatened the cancelation of the outdoor series. The two groups combined efforts to figure out a plan to complete the 2020 Supercross Championship and proceed with the outdoor series, which they successfully accomplished. This sparked the idea of the two groups continuing to work together full-time for the good of the sport, and, as a result, the SuperMotocross Championship was conceived. All of the manufacturers approved of the SMX concept, and the green light was given. It was then that Feld Motor Sports chose not to re-align with the FIM so that one unified rulebook can be used for all three championships.
“This has been two-and-a-half years in the making,” said Kenneth Feld, Chair and CEO, Feld Entertainment, Inc. “Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing initially came together to preserve a 2020 racing season during the pandemic and soon realized we’re stronger together. We asked ourselves, ‘How can we better the sport?’ And from that emerged the concept for the SuperMotocross World Championship. We’re dedicated to retaining the history of each respective championship and will continue to crown individual champions for both disciplines, but we’ll now come together to crown an ultimate champion.” CN
The following is an update from August 2, 2022
News just broke of the new “SuperMotocross World Championship”, a collaboration series between Feld (Supercross) and MX Sports (Pro Motocross). The initial press release seems like a joint championship between the Supercross and Pro Motocross seasons with added purse money, and OEM support. The actual SuperMotocross World Championship will take place on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Read below for the official press release.
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. and MX Sports Pro Racing today jointly announced a partnership that will see the formation of the SuperMotocross World Championship. Under this new alliance, the two companies will work together to grow both, Supercross and Motocross, creating a new championship platform that will reward the sport’s best athletes with a $10 million purse – the richest offering in either sports’ history.
Starting in 2023, the professional racing season will expand and culminate with the SuperMotocross World Championship on Saturday, October 14 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.
“With the creation of the SuperMotocross World Championship, we are taking a significant step towards growing the sport into a series that will be better suited for the expanding global marketplace and its impact on our fans and sponsors,” said Kenneth Feld, Chair and CEO of Feld Entertainment, Inc. “As media and technology continue to evolve, SuperMotocross will be able to capitalize on these innovations to reach new audiences and grow exponentially in the coming years.”
The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will both continue to crown their own champions at the conclusion of their respective series’. Afterwards, the top 22 250cc athletes and the top 22 450cc athletes in combined Supercross and Pro Motocross points will qualify to compete in the two SuperMotocross Playoff Rounds and World Championship round for the SuperMotocross #1 plate and sport’s richest payout.
A new SuperMotocross World Championship will take place Saturday, October 14, 2023 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
“With the creation of the SuperMotocross World Championship, we are taking a significant step towards growing the sport into a series that will be better suited for the expanding global marketplace and its impact on our fans and sponsors,” said Kenneth Feld, Chair and CEO of Feld Entertainment, Inc. “As media and technology continue to evolve, SuperMotocross will be able to capitalize on these innovations to reach new audiences and grow exponentially in the coming years.”
The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will both continue to crown their own champions at the conclusion of their respective series’. Afterwards, the top 22 250cc athletes and the top 22 450cc athletes in combined Supercross and Pro Motocross points will qualify to compete in the two SuperMotocross Playoff Rounds and World Championship round for the SuperMotocross #1 plate and sport’s richest payout.
This marks a new joint venture between Feld and MX Sports.
All seven of the primary original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) – KTM, Husqvarna, GASGAS, Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki, are excited about this new partnership and are fully committed to competing with their race teams. Factory-supported racing efforts have been the backbone of professional racing in the United States for more than five decades. Their commitment ensures that the highest level of racing competition will continue in Supercross, Pro Motocross and throughout the SuperMotocross Playoffs and World Championship.
“The creation of the SuperMotocross World Championship is the biggest and most positive step to ever happen in our sport,” said Roger De Coster – Director of Motorsports, KTM Group North America. “Supercross and Motocross racing in the U.S. is very strong right now and this investment from Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing will bring the next generation of fans to motorcycling.”
“The SuperMotocross World Championship is an important and necessary step forward for our sport,” stated Chris Brull, Kawasaki Vice President of Marketing and Racing. “The collaboration between Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing further strengthens Kawasaki’s commitment to this new world championship and to the already well-established and successful Supercross and Motocross championships.”
Roger Decoster voiced his support of the new endeavor.
The SuperMotocross World Championship will combine both disciplines of Supercross and Pro Motocross introducing a unique and distinct form of racing called SuperMotocross, hence becoming a new discipline for the sport. Custom-designed tracks will be built to showcase this new style of racing. World-class venues will allow room to integrate the best track designs from Supercross, Pro Motocross and now SuperMotocross, finally providing a stage where the sport’s ultimate debate can be decided – who is the best in the world and ultimately crowning a new overall champion.
“As a manufacturer, it’s great to see two of our valued partners collaborating to bring something new to our sport,” said Brandon Wilson, Manager of Racing and Experiential Marketing, Honda Power Sports & Products. “Considering that this has been in the works for more than two years, we are excited to now finally be able to share this significant news. The SuperMotocross World Championship is going to add a lot of intrigue for everyone. Fans will have more opportunities to see their favorite riders and the most competitive racing, plus we’ll now see who the best overall rider is.”
“As the current and reigning champion in both Supercross and Motocross, we’re extremely proud to have earned those titles battling the best competition on the planet,” said Derek Brooks, Yamaha Motorcycle Product Line Manager. “The SuperMotocross World Championship is a unique, yet also natural next step for the sport as we work together to highlight the immense talent of the athletes who compete on our class-leading product.”
Eli Tomac is the reigning AMA Supercross Champion.
Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing have worked together previously on industry related initiatives, none more significant than joining forces in the early days of the pandemic to save motorcycle racing in the United States. Both companies will continue to work together in a collaborative effort to continue growing the sport both domestically and abroad. Bringing together the leadership experience of both organizations and creating a unified rule book will ensure consistency across the series for both athletes and teams. Their combined marketing and operational expertise will strengthen and grow fan engagement through integrated media, promotional, sponsorship and activation programming across the racing season.
“We are inspired to see this new partnership and the creating of the SuperMotocross World Championship,” said Chris Wheeler, Motorsports Manager for Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. “Suzuki is looking forward to racing in this new championship and competing at the highest level in Supercross, Motocross, and now the SuperMotocross World Championship.”
The 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship schedule will be announced in the coming weeks, followed by the 2023 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing schedule. Dates and venues for the upcoming SuperMotocross World Championship and additional details will be announced later in the year. For updates and all the latest news please make sure to visit SupercrossLIVE and Pro Motocross.
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